heartbeat
/ˈhɑːtbiːt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːrtbiːt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhärt-ˌbēt/ (ame, mw)
heartbeat — 名詞
- heartbeatsingular
- heartbeatsplural
1. the rhythmic thumping and sound produced each time the heart pushes blood throug
心跳
心臟跳動的節奏與聲音
the rhythmic thumping and sound produced each time the heart pushes blood through the body
The nurse placed a stethoscope on Folake's chest to check her heartbeat.
護士將聽診器放在 Folake 胸口檢查她的心跳。
check + possessive + heartbeat — common medical collocation
After climbing three flights of stairs, Anthony felt his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
爬完三層樓梯後，Anthony 感覺到自己的心跳在耳邊砰砰作響。
feel + possessive + heartbeat + present participle
During her check-up, the doctor told Elena that her irregular heartbeat might signal a treatable heart condition.
在健康檢查時，醫生告訴 Elena 她的不規則心跳可能代表一種可治療的心臟問題。
The doctor listened carefully to the baby's heartbeat through a small machine.
醫生透過一台小型機器仔細聆聽嬰兒的心跳。
Roya noticed her heartbeat slow down as she sat quietly by the window.
Roya 注意到當她靜靜坐在窗邊時，心跳漸漸慢了下來。
文法句型
possessive + heartbeat
adjective + heartbeat
用法筆記
Countable in this sense — you can refer to one heartbeat or many. Frequently used with a possessive noun or pronoun (her heartbeat, the baby's heartbeat). The medical register often pairs it with adjectives like irregular, steady, or rapid.
常見錯誤
2. the central person, place, or activity that provides a community or group with i
核心；命脈
賦予地方或群體活力的關鍵角色
the central person, place, or activity that provides a community or group with its distinctive character and energy
The old market square was the heartbeat of the town for over a hundred years.
那座老舊的市場廣場曾是一百多年來小鎮的心臟所在。
heartbeat of + [place] — core figurative pattern
Renata's dance studio quickly became the heartbeat of the neighbourhood.
Renata 的舞蹈工作室很快變成了社區的核心。
became the heartbeat of + [place]
Small local shops are often the heartbeat of a community, bringing people together.
小型在地商店往往是社區的命脈，能將人們凝聚在一起。
Music has always been the heartbeat of New Orleans, shaping its festivals and nightlife.
音樂一直是紐奧良的靈魂，塑造了它的節慶與夜生活。
If the library closes, this neighbourhood will lose its cultural heartbeat.
如果圖書館關閉了，這個社區將會失去它的文化命脈。
- fringe
the outer edge of a community, lacking the central role
文法句型
the heartbeat of + [place/group]
用法筆記
Almost always used with the definite article the and followed by of + a social entity (city, community, organization, movement). The possessive form (its cultural heartbeat) is less common but acceptable. Avoid using this sense for individuals in casual contexts — it carries a weighty, almost poetic tone.
常見錯誤
3. an extremely short period of time, often used to emphasise how quickly something
瞬間
極短暫的一剎那
an extremely short period of time, often used to emphasise how quickly something happens
In a heartbeat, Sivan decided to accept the job offer in Barcelona.
在短短一瞬間，Sivan 就決定接受巴塞隆納的那份工作。
in a heartbeat — fixed idiom for 'immediately'
The car skidded across the ice, and everything changed in a heartbeat.
車子在冰上打滑，一切在瞬間就變了樣。
Iker would move home in a heartbeat if he could find work there.
如果能在那裡找到工作，Iker 會毫不猶豫搬回家。
Jin's moment of doubt lasted only a heartbeat before she stepped onto the stage.
Jin 的猶豫只持續了短短一瞬間，隨後她便踏上了舞台。
Nora felt the ground shake for a single heartbeat, and then everything was still.
Nora 感到地面震動了僅僅一瞬間，然後一切歸於平靜。
- instant
more flexible and common in everyday speech; can stand alone without an idiom
- split second
slightly more informal; equally brief in meaning
- flash
suggests something faster than visible perception
- age
an extremely long period of time, opposite in scale
文法句型
in a heartbeat
a single heartbeat
within a heartbeat
用法筆記
Rarely used as a standalone noun meaning 'a brief time' outside of fixed phrases. The pattern 'in a heartbeat' is by far the most common and functions as an adverbial meaning 'immediately.' The standalone use (e.g., 'a single heartbeat' as a measure of time) is literary or dramatic.